Lee KilraineReseñas

This book took me much longer than the other books I currently read and it didn't quite captivate me.
The whole series is a bit ... slow and quick at the same time.

There's too much happening while some scenes just drag on and I'm not really "living" the situations.

But I liked TJ and Shay a lot and the issues they are dealing with are serious and not too easily solved.
I also liked their relationship and for me a friends to lovers trope is always easier to "feel" than romances between strangers.

I know they fell for each other a long time ago because they know each other very well. But with these too I also understood why they loved each other. They were great characters.

It was a really nice clean read. I won't reread it but it could be a book I recommend to a teen because there is no bad language, talk of sex and the kisses aren't too descriptive.

This book was just ... quite boring. I only finished it because I wanted to read the whole series . I don't like to do things half-heartedly... ^^

I really like the tomboy theme and a person who is not swayed by looks or popularity. But Bernie didn't do it for me. I didn't really get her or maybe it was just too much going on (death of a parent, adoption, being bullied, fame, two very big competitions, ...) for only under 200 pages to get to know the characters, understand and feel for them.

Don't get me wrong - I liked the characters (the most we already know from book 1 and 2) and could somewhat relate to their struggles and worries, but I didn't feel any chemistry between Bernie and Grant/Kingsly and that is a big problem for a romance.

So the relationship part disappointing to put it mildly and the rest was - like all the books due to it length or lack thereof - rushed, quickly resolved, just not deep enough to get really into it.

Not really looking forward to book 4, but I finish what I started. ;)

I just LOVED Lacey and Grady. Can't really say why, but I just did and it could have been an awesome book, but it was just good. Or maybe great, but it was just too short.

So if I could give half stars it would have been 4,5 just because I loved the MCs so much.

I'm repeating myself, but I enjoyed this book a lot. I just didn't really get why they hated each other or why they fell in love for that matter. Because of the length there just lacked depth and I would have loved 100 or even 200 pages more to get to know them better.

But I liked Gradys backstory (even if it was a bit cliché) and that there was no cheesy happy family ending for him because some families just suck and even if it hurts it's sometimes better to just accept it as it is.

Haven't read the last one yet, but I think this is my favorite of the series.

This was a really nice and quick read - but there lies my main problem: it was too quick.
I liked both main characters but because the book was relatively short, I didn't really get to know them or could really understand - let alone feel - why they fell for each other.

It was a great background story, a bit different from other teen books. (Bowling nerd gets bullied, then assaulted and blackmailed) but exactly this awful past makes it a bit unrealistic for Ali to trust new friends, let alone a (fake) boyfriend that easily.
For the reader it's like she makes a 180 from one day to the other for no apparent reason.
And I think it's quite stupid that she didn't confide in said friends or a teacher concerning the blackmail. (But she's a teen, so there's that...)

The whole rabbit vs. playbook scenario could have been resolved without all that drama.

There are a few things I didn't like or didn't find plausible but I enjoyed the book enough to continue the series and it's sweet and clean so I think it could be recommended to teens. I would give 3,5 Stars, but since LibraryThing only allow full stars I tend more to a 4.

This was a high school, fake romance that turns into a real romance. Ali and Dax meet in the school office at the start of school. She is a new student transferring to the school. He is the quarterback and very popular. When he sees her, he is immediately intrigued by her. At the same time he’s trying to get rid of an ex who has become clingy. So after a few meetings, Dax and Ali pretend to date. Things go so well that the two decide that they really like each other and that they really do want to date each other. But, another scandal comes up and again Ali is caught right in the middle of it. She does something that causes Dax to doubt her and then she gets mad at Dax for not trusting her (even though she did exactly what she was accused of doing). That part kind of blew my mind. That’s when the book started to fall apart for me and got kind of ridiculous. All the beginning was actually really cute and sweet. The end was kind of a mess.

Give It Up by Lee Kilraine
Thorne Brothers #1

The Thorne brothers were separated young and for the most part have managed to find one another again, set up a business together and do well for themselves. There is one brother still unaccounted for that they are looking for but otherwise they work together well, are close and take care of one another. They are also charming, attractive and eagerly sought out by those looking for a bit of time between the sheets.

In book one we meet the brothers and hear the story of Beckett, the oldest brother. He and a woman he had a one night stand with, Samantha “Sam” Devine, are hired to work together on a large lucrative job redesigning a home for a wealthy couple. They are forced into close proximity, have to make compromises and begin to care for one another…though it takes a bit of doing for them to reach the HEA conclusion hoped for.

There are no real big surprises in this story and the romance is fairly straight forward. I am interested in finding out more about the other brothers and also about the twist their private investigator brings to them near the end.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes
Will I read more in the series? More than likely
Am I willing to read more books by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing ~ Lyrical Press ~ Caress for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars½

Wanted: Mom for Christmas by Lee Kilraine
Cates Brothers 5.5

Second chance at love for an Olympic medalist and a small town cop that were once high school sweethearts – will they find a HEA – probably ;)

Nora Joy had a no good very bad day that continued downhill with one hit after another until she felt she had hit rock bottom – and then – a job in her old hometown appeared as if by magic. She grabbed the job with both hands and headed to Climax, North Carolina to become rent-a-mom to the children of Jackson “Hawk” Savage. Henry Lee “HL”, at eight, is active, fun loving and desires a mother for Christmas while his sister, ten year old Heather, is quiet and shy and just his opposite.

Nora is competitive by nature so being the best rent-a-mom she can be is her goal. Sparks definitely fly as chemistry that once existed is found to still thrive. The holiday spirit, family, competition, doing one’s best, communication, grief, magic and more are part and parcel in this delightful holiday romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Shine for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars½